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In the United States many new mothers are being pushed to bathrooms or to stay home in order to feed their newborns. Our society sees the natural process of breastfeeding as inappropriate when done in public even when no part of the breast is showing. As citizens of the US we need to promote, not demote, the act of breastfeeding because of the natural benefits it gives our children and their mothers.
WHAT IS BREASTFEEDING?
Breastfeeding– the act of feeding an infant or young child with milk from the mother’s breasts
WHY IS BREASTFEEDING IN PUBLIC A PROBLEM?
Many cultures do not see a problem with a mother feeding an infant from her breast in public. However, there seems to be controversies in the US about its appropriateness. Sometimes the act of breastfeeding in public is seen as “taboo” (Trocola). People may confuse the use of a breast for means of feeding as “sexual and should be done in private” (Trocola). The media is also a source that fuels people’s negative opinions about public breastfeeding (Trocola).
WHAT ARE THE LAWS ON PUBLIC BREASTFEEDING?
In the United States public breastfeeding is not illegal (Trocola). Certain states, however, set laws that address public breastfeeding (Trocola). Residents in states that do not have a set law are not protected in a situation where they are asked to leave due to the act of breastfeeding (Trocola).
WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS PUBLIC BREASTFEEDING?
- Effects to public opinion (Li et al. 124):
- Percentage of people from 1999 to 2003 who agreed with “mothers who breastfeed should do so in private places only” increased whereas those who agreed with “I am comfortable when mothers breastfeed their babies near me in a public place, such as a shopping center, bus station, etc.”
- Effects to public knowledge (Li et al. 125):
- Percentage of people from 1999 to 2003 who agreed with “infant formula is as good as breastmilk” increased as well as those who agreed with “feeding a baby formula instead of breastmilk increases the chances the baby will get sick.”
Studies have shown that the “lack of knowledge and confidence” were the main reasons women were breastfeeding for less than the first six months (Haroon et al. 2). Also, “work outside the home” was found as a common reason for “premature weaning” or not breastfeeding exclusively (Haroon et al. 2).
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING?
According to WHO and UNICEF, “it is recommended that every infant be breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of life” (Horta et al. 3). Their recommendation was based on evidence that infants who were breastfed for the first six months of life “presented lower morbidity from gastrointestinal and allergic diseases, while showing similar growth rates to non-breastfed children” (Horta et al. 3). Evidence also shows that breastfeeding “is protective against infectious diseases such as upper and lower respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal illnesses and otitis media during the infant period and beyond” (Allen et al. 42).
Not only is breastfeeding beneficial to the infant, it is also beneficial to the mother. Research has shown that there is “compelling evidence that breastfeeding is protective against developing premenopausal and probably postmenopausal breast cancer” (Allen et al. 44). It is also proven that breastfeeding can help a mother recover faster after childbirth (Allen et al. 44).
Continuous research is still being completed on the health benefits of breastfeeding to the child in infancy stage and adolescence as well as benefits to the mother.
WHAT’S BEING DONE NOW?
In order to increase the confidence in new mothers who want to breastfeed, many “interactive counseling strategies” and “large scale awareness programs” have been put in place (Haroon et al. 2). A review done by Chapman et. al. found that “peer counselors effectively improved breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity” (Haroon et al. 2). It is important to educate not only future mothers but all US citizens on the benefits of breastfeeding and the effects of negative attitudes towards breastfeeding in order to change the way the natural act is being viewed.
As a start for a change for new mothers, 2010 federal laws put in place “the enactment of the ‘reasonable break time’ provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (Murtagh et al. 217). The act allows women to confidently return to work while still able to produce milk for their child. This act is just the start of women’s breastfeeding rights and should be followed with more public education and campaigns.
Works Cited
Allen, Jane, and Debra Hector. “Benefits of Breastfeeding.” New South Wales Public Health Bulletin 16.4 (2005): 42-6. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
Haroon, Sarah, Jai K. Das, Rehana A. Salam, Aamer Imdad, and Zulfiqar A. Bhutta. “Breastfeeding promotion interventions and breastfeeding practices: a systematic review.” BMC Public Health 13.3 (2013): 1-18. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
Horta, Bernardo L., Rajiv Bahl, José C. Martines, and Cesar G. Victora. World Health Organization. Evidence on the long-term effects of breastfeeding: systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Switzerland: WHO, 2007. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Li, Ruowei, Valerie J. Rock, and Laurence Grummer-Strawn. “Changes in Public Attitudes toward Breastfeeding in the United States, 1999-2003.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association 107.1 (2007): 122-7. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Murtagh, Lidnsey and Anthony D. Moulton. “Working Mothers, Breastfeeding, and the Law.” American Journal of Public Health 101.2 (2011): 217-23. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
Trocola, Michaelene Gerster. “Breastfeeding in Public.” New Beginnings 22.6 (2005): 238-43. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
About the author:
Cassandra is currently a junior at Marywood University in Scranton, PA. She is currently studying Pre-Physician Assistant studies and will be starting her graduate courses this upcoming May (2015). Cassandra grew up in a small town near Harrisburg, PA where she was raised by her mother, father and four older siblings. She went in to her feminist writing class unsure of her beliefs and standings but came out understanding the meaning behind feminism.
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